Ogda Waterfall in Palghar district in Maharashtra

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Ogda Waterfall is located in Palghar district in Maharashtra. Directions to the waterfall are easily available on Google Maps.

One has to travel on the Western Express Highway, exit the highway at Manor, from there travel to Wada. From Wada one has to travel by the internal roads leading to Khodala. Ogda Waterfall is on the way.

The tip of Kohoj fort covered in clouds

 We comprising of Manohar, Dominic and Fathima decided to visit the waterfall.

That's us, Manohar, Dominic, Fathima and Me

We met up at Andheri (intersection of the metro line and the western express highway) around  6:50 AM. Stopped for a CNG tank fuelling at Dahisar and then headed over the Western Express Highway.

The sun was shining, not a drop of rain nor a rainy cloud in the sky. As it was the  month of July, we were hoping to have some showers to make the trip a memorable one.

Rain drops on the window pane

We traveled to Manor,  exited the highway and traveled on the state highway to reach Wada. It had rained here as the ground was wet also there was water accumulated on the side of the road, meaning that it has been raining heavily here.

Wet roads leading to Ogda Waterfall

I looked up in the sky, and saw us surrounded by dark clouds, so the rains were due anytime soon. With the rains, the view from the roads was scenic. Lush greenery all around, small water streams all over the place, muddy water accumulated all around and saw people farming too. It's been a long time, I have stepped in a farm. Maybe will do it in our next trip. I remember as a child, I used to accompany my Mom to the fields. 

Pond we located on our way to Ogda Waterfall

That's us at the pond premises

We crossed by Kohoj Fort, It took me three attempts to conquer it. Also do read about my camping trip at the Shelte Water Lake, at the base of the fort. This was my first attempt at camping. Hehe.

We travelled on the narrow and winding roads to reach Wada. Wada was packed with people, the narrow roads, filled with people made it impossible for us to drive through. Not sure why the roads are so narrow on a small town.

Ogda Waterfall

Fathima and Me at Ogda Waterfall

Nevertheless we decided to carry on to our destination, Ogda Waterfall.

It is advisable to, tag the places on Google maps at the start of the journey, as the phone looses network signals often. We had Vodafone and Reliance JIO SIM, but no network in the interiors of Maharashtra.  As the places are marked on Google maps, GPS helps you to know where you are on the maps.

A large river near Ogda Waterfall

It took us around 3.5 hours to reach the Ogda Waterfall (taking time spent at CNG fuelling and having breakfast ) into consideration.

Let me inform you, that the only way of reaching this waterfall is by travelling by private mode of transport. I hardly saw an rickshaw, tum tum nor ST bus while reaching this place.

A large river near Ogda Waterfall

Not many people are aware of this waterfall. Apart from the four of us, there was a group of locals, who were also there, they had had their dip in the waters and were busy preparing lunch.

An old bridge we saw on the way to the Ogda Waterfall

The water was flowing down a hill in a distance and so the flow of the water was a strong one, we decided not to get into the water but to sit at the banks so that we can wet our feet in the water.

Soaking one's feet in the ice cold water was relaxing to our feet. I wasted no time in soaking my hands and also washing my face in the water. I felt so relaxed. All the tiredness was long gone.

Fields

Manohar and Me love travelling to these offbeat places, as we don't like crowds and like to have nature all by ourselves. I have been to a couple of waterfalls before,  some crowded and some not so crowded. Here click on the names of the waterfalls to read about them. Bhivpuri, Palasdhari, Zenith, Chinchoti, Dhabosa at Jawahar and Kalote.

Farmer ploughing his field

Sat there while Dominic, had a good time in the flowing water, when then crossed the road and headed onto the other side, only to see a confluence of the water from the waterfall and a river flowing. The water was muddy, so we didn't venture in it, nor did we go for a swim in it.

Note: There is no provision for food and water here, so one has to carry it. We had picked up our supplies from the highway itself.

That's lunch

Khodala is a small town, a couple of KM's away, there is provision for food and water here. We were happy that we managed to get ourselves Chinese food here. It is a norm on our trips to have Chinese food for lunch and dinner. Though it is just 20 KM away it took us around 1 1/2 hours to reach there, as the roads are narrow and curvy and not in very good condition, but it offers a scenic view of the surroundings.

Another water body on the way

The weather suddenly changed and the rains set in. It accompanied us all the way back to Mumbai. We had to drive slowly on the narrow roads and so it consumed a lot of time and finally we reached Mumbai around 8PM.

That's us again

We had a good time in the trip, thanks to the rains, the weather was even better.

Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv via the Satara Pandharpur Road

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

After visiting Piliv fort, we took directions from the local and landed onto the Satara-Pandharpur Highway, which was to take us to Pandharpur. We were to rest there for the night.

Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv 

En route, we located this fortified structure on our right hand side. Now this was not on our itinerary. But we still decided to pay it a visit. Parked the car outside it, we entered the stone walled premises via the Maha Darwaza or the Main Door.

Maha Darwaza to Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv

The Main Darwaza had a small Chor Darwaza or Small Door in it. The wooden door was decorated with nails, that are 5 inch long, currently they are totally rusted. When the fort was attacked by the enemies, the enemy could enter the fort either by climbing the walls or the main door. History states that Elephants were used to attack and break open the Maha Darwaza, hence the nails to injure the Elephants.

It was a land fort and the walls were not very tall. Like the Ahmednagar Fort in Ahmednagar. The fortification was intact. The fort was square shaped.

Maha Darwaza and Chor Darwaza

Raigad Fort, Vasai Fort have got great Maha Darwaza's.

There was just one house in its premises. The current owner of the Wada stays in that small house. They are the descendants of the Nimbalkar's.

Stone tablets at Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv

There is a old well, near the house. The well is around 50 feet deep but no water within it. There are a couple of old structures in the Wada premises. We saw a granary too.

The descendants had unearthed a sword and musket gun. Not sure how many more historic treasures are buried under ground.

We also located grinding stone,  rock cut stone artifacts here. Similar to the ones we saw at Tural Hot Water Springs on NH66.

Old structures within Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv 

The time was now 6:45 PM and we had to reach Pandharpur.

On the Satara-Pandharpur Road, we were greeted with lighting and thunder. Finally came the rain to cool down the soaring temperatures. How I love and cherish the smell of the soil.

Artifacts at Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv

Now we had to search for a place to stay for the night. We tried the local government guest house. But it was full. Through past experience, we have never got to stay in a Government guest house.

We got ourselves room's in Hotel Laxmi Palace, at a cost of Rs 700 for non AC. The AC ones cost Rs.1000. The rooms were okay, but not that great.

Current residents at Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv

Ate some street side chinese food and omlette pav. But nothing beats the street side chinese food we had at Wai, what say Manohar.

Well at Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv

That night it rained so heavily that the power conked off. We had to keep the balcony door open so that the chilly breeze could come in. Good we didn't take the AC room, as it would  have been a complete waste of money.

Unearthed Musket Gun at Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv

Unearthed Sword at Wada on the way to Pandharpur from Piliv

Next morning woke up, had breakfast at Kamat's located on the Satara-Pandharpur Road. The food was not at all tasty. First time ever, it didn't live up to the brand name. We then headed off to see Machnur Fort. 

Please do click on the highlighted words above to read about those explorations. 

Unconquered Kohoj

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Palghar is known for many forts, mainly sea forts and hill forts.

My last trek was to Kaldurg Fort, it was my second attempt and I was successful. So I planned to do Kohoj which was nearby to Kaldurg.

I gathered information online about the whereabouts of the fort. The fort can be identified by a human like rock formation atop the fort. Reminded me of the movie “Behind Enemy Lines featuring Owen Wilson, which had a statue of an Angel up the hill and how the enemies destroy the statue with gun firing.” This fort is located in Wada. Now the question you have in your head is how do I get to Wada?

Wada is near Manor which can be accessed from Palghar either via a ST bus or rickshaw. But the bus is faster. The distance is approx 32 km from Palghar Railway Station to Vaghote Village which is on the Wada Road, where the fort stands.

Kohoj fort in a distance

Now this was a short notice trek meaning Nelson spoke to me a day before and within 16 hours we decided to go to Kohoj Fort. As it is the month of May, the hottest month of the year I advised Nelson to carry atleast 3 litres of water. After all trekking Kohoj we were nearing the sun.

Nelson who stays in Mulund had boarded the 407 hours train to Dadar and from there switched to Western Railway and boarded the 504 hours Virar fast which arrived at Andheri at 519 hours. I got my tickets at Rs.15 one way.

It was nice to meet Nelson after a long time and we chatted on women who were a part of our lives. Haha.

At 610 hours the train reached Virar and so we hurried to board the 615 hours shuttle to Palghar.

Finally in the train and a place to sit, we started off. We were lucky that there was no fish being transported unlike last time to Kaldurg when the entire train smelled fishy.

In the train Nelson told me that he didn’t have a ticket to Palghar as the train booking counter was closed. I was surprised to hear that as the train counters open 15 minutes before the first train starts. I had my ticket with me. Only problem is Ticket Checker. If we caught then we would have to pay a fine. But it is strange that no tickets were sold at Mulund.

My worst fears came alive. A ticket checker was there inspecting tickets. We were lucky enough to sneak out of the station without getting caught. It is always advisable to travel with valid tickets else pay a fine.

We had breakfast at a Hotel Lokmaya near the station. Our Breakfast comprised of two plates of Medu Wada and two tea's costing us Rs.70. Though the food is not big shake but having a breakfast is always good. We didn’t know when lunch would be served.

We then boarded the 730 hours bus to Manor. Manor is around 24 km from Palghar. In 30 minutes we were there at a cost of Rs. 14 each. The view from the bus was scenic. The hill ranges that stretched across the backdrop were amazing. One hill range followed by another, like a chain of them. But no sign of Kohoj.

The dried fields in a distance stretching till the hill ranges with a few houses and trees to make it a beautiful scene.

We alighted at Manor at 800 hours and later found out from one of the shopkeepers that we should not have alighted from the bus as it was going via Wada and we had to alight at Vaghote Village.

Manor was a small town flooded with shops on either side of the narrow road leading to Palghar at one end and Wada on the other. There was chaos.  There are shops selling everything here. This is also a major bus stop junction.

So we had to wait there for another bus, finally at 850 hours we boarded another bus at a cost of Rs.14 per head and we reached Vaghote Village at 915 hours. While travelling we could see Kohoj and it appeared to grow bigger and bigger as we were nearing it. The road does a traverse to reach Vaghote Village. There is a human shaped rock formation atop, and it appears as if a human is standing there.

Vaghote Village consists of around 25 houses but no shops there. So if you need to collect food or water Manor is the place. The trek starts from here keeping the fort on your right hand side. We inquired with a few locals and they showed us the way to reach the lake from where the trail leads to Kohoj.

The lake was beautiful. Saw women cleaning clothes in the water and a few children playing next to eat. I noticed that shell fish is available in plenty in the lake. I make this statement based on the no of shells I located near the lake premises. I saw some boys enjoying a swim in the water to chill in the hot sun.

It was just 930 hours and the heat was unbearable. Nelson said if this is the condition now what will happen when we reach the top. Hot Hotter Hottest and to top it the no winds. So sweat like pigs in the hot sun.

The villagers are very friendly in giving directions and so we took it and followed the trail. There are stones marked with arrows on the way so that we are on the right part. But they disappear as we start climbing up the hill.

Don’t know if they vanished in the rains or if they were never marked so we had to find our way up the hill. But as per the villagers the way up is from the backside so we started to climb in that manner. There are many trails on the hills so had to follow them to some extend just to find if we were on the right track.

Finally the worst happened. We were lost and we decided to climb up there via the waterfall route. Though now there was no waterfall just huge rocks’ standing there with thorny bushes for company.  The way up was bad luckily I didn’t slip thanks to my new Action High Ankle Trekking Shoes. But the thorny bushes made the climb very difficult. Both of us were bruised on our legs and hands. We had cuts and blood flowing through it.

My rucksack strap broke. Shit climbing was a pain and now this. It was nice of Nelson to carry the bag up via the rocky and thorny patches. We were just 20 feet away from the top and the climb was getting steeper and steeper with thorns for company.

I checked my phone for signals got none. So I told Nelson that it is better to get down. As there was no way we could communicate with anyone and we didn’t know if we were on the right track. That is the problem with waterfalls.

The climb down was going to be difficult and we had to do it in order to get down.

With ample breaks midway we decided to head back from the hills at 1230 hours. We prayed all the way down till we crossed the thorny bushes and till we reached down the hill.

Finally at 1430 hours we were back at the lake. We jumped into the water to cool ourselves from the hectic climb we had up the hill. The water was refreshing and it cooled us out completely and we felt fresh to head home. All our tiredness disappeared in a jiffy.

After having a Jacuzzi for around an hour we headed off to the Wada Road from where we were to board a bus to Palghar.

Rickshaws are available to take you to Manor and Palghar but the journey is more perilous. As they fit as many people as possible in the rickshaw and it is difficult to sit in one position for more than 15 minutes without stretching.

So we boarded a bus to Palghar after waiting for it for about 45 minutes. Finally got our tickets at a cost of Rs.28 per head. It took us around an hour to reach Palghar.

As we were hungry we headed straight to Hotel Lokmanya to have Puri Bhajji’s and Masala Dosa and gulped it down with cold drink. After having our full we decided to board a train to Virar with a valid ticket. 

After we knew the train would be crowded and we had no other option than to adjust.

We boarded the 1855 hours Valsad Bandra Passenger. It went slow till Virar and from then did Borivali and then Andheri. Finally I reached home at 2045 hours and Nelson at 2200 hours.

The trek was difficult primarily because we climbed in the summer and to top it we got lost in the hills and had to climb up via the waterfall route filled with thorny bushes that bruised us. But the trek was a learning experience for us and thank God I didn’t get dehydrated on the hills like I did in Mahuli.

But I will come again to conquer this fort. A promise I made to myself.